


Violent Delights

by sephirise



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Angst, Crack Treated Seriously, Dark, Dubious Consent, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Sadism, Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII) Being An Asshole, alternative universes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:03:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27645221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sephirise/pseuds/sephirise
Summary: An evil Sephiroth travels between AUs, fucking with the local, unsuspecting Clouds.Latest self-contained AU:The modern world can’t handle Sephiroth, and Sephiroth can’t handle Cloud dismissing him as some irrelevant cosplayer.Cloud and Sephiroth POVs: Crack, Modern University AU
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 37
Kudos: 125





	1. T: Prologue, angst, S-POV

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is a different AU and can be read independently. They all contain the same entitled, god-powered Sephiroth hopping universes, so expect a lot of dark themes.
> 
> The AU type, mood, POV and major kinks/tags will be labeled in chapter titles. The title format will be “Rating: AU type, mood, POV, major kinks/tags”. ”For example: “E: University AU, humor/angst, C-POV, stalking/harassment” or “E: Wholesome Sefikura AU, angst/whump, C-POV, dubcon/manipulation” Further description and warnings will be available in chapter summaries.
> 
> This chapter is a prologue to set up the series, but after that, each chapter can be read in any order or skipped. Please heed the warnings. I’m venting some dark feelings into my writing here.

Sephiroth beat Cloud in the skies above Midgar.

He’d meant to keep Cloud alive longer—to make him experience true despair. But then Cloud’s octaslash had actually hurt him, and he retaliated, hard. Cloud’s battered body couldn’t take it, and their mental connection broke before he hit the ground.

Sephiroth was left with a Cloud-shaped void in his consciousness and an unsatisfied craving for vengeance. Burning Midgar and corroding the lifestream with Geostigma helped.

At first, he sailed the cosmos with Gaia as his vessel, absorbing worlds as he went. He gained the ability to travel through time, space, and dimensions.

Yet no matter how much he consumed and grew, nothing filled the emptiness that resided where Cloud used to be.

So he sought entertainment and adrenaline, toying with the best fighters of every realm. But everyone was boring and no one came close to his prowess. Cloud remained the sole person to have ever had enough strength to defeat him.

Next, he tried sex. It was not hard to find willing partners, and each planet offered its own sexual flavors. But even with that variety, he quickly grew bored. He turned to unwilling partners, which was more entertaining, but it still lacked the fulfillment he craved.

His thoughts were consumed more and more with his old nemesis.

He started looking at alternative universes, and the solution to his problem became obvious. There were endless Clouds. When he focused on an individual one, he could feel a pull—a ghost of the connection he had once had with his Cloud.

He needed Cloud back, but he also craved that beautiful brand of despair that only his nemesis could give. He wanted to pull Cloud as close as possible, then tear him to pieces.

And as a god with access to infinite Clouds, he could have it all. He could fight, fuck, and kill him, again and again.

Perhaps total domination over Cloud would fill that horrible emptiness. It was only right that he own his puppet, in every possible way, in all realities.

He did not hesitate, picking his first alternative universe almost at random. His only requirement was that both he and Cloud existed.

Something that he hadn’t felt in a long time stirred in his gut—excitement perhaps—and Sephiroth knew he was on the right path. He flicked Masamune, slicing open a dark portal.

He was going to have so much fun.


	2. E: Cadet Cloud, Whump, C-POV, Rape/Violence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephiroth ambushes Cadet Cloud and fulfills a sadistic fantasy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More tags and warnings for this chapter:  
> Noncon, graphic violence, abuse of power, temporary character death, dead dove: do not eat
> 
> Seriously, this is dark, straight-up violent rape. Proceed with caution.

Cloud enjoyed sitting alone outside. The infantrymen technically weren’t allowed on the rooftop of the barracks, but he’d been doing it for months, and no one had bothered him yet.

So he was surprised when he heard footsteps that night. He spun around to see Sephiroth approaching from the opposite direction of the rooftop door.

Cloud gaped, then jerked his hand up into one of the sloppiest salutes he’d ever done. “Sir!”

Sephiroth chuckled darkly, and Cloud flushed. “Oh Cloud, how I’ve missed you.”

As far as Cloud knew, Sephiroth had never even looked at him. “...Sir?”

The smile on Sephiroth’s face was predatory as he looked Cloud over. Cloud was embarrassed about his sloppy state of dress—sweats and a t-shirt, but something bigger felt off. What was Sephiroth doing here, and where had he come from?

Sephiroth continued to look at him, not responding. Cloud did his best to remain solid in his salute.

“On your knees.”

Cloud blinked a couple times, unsure how to process the command. Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, and Cloud rushed to comply.

“I should have done this long ago.” Sephiroth took a step forward. His silver hair fanned out behind him, glimmering in the moonlight.

“S-sir?” Cloud asked again.

Sephiroth tilted his head as he continued to examine Cloud. His eyes roamed over him, lingering in certain places with a bizarre intimacy.

Then he closed the distance between them and placed a gloved hand against Cloud’s cheek. He slid it down the side of his face, coming to rest in what could only be called a caress.

His brain short-circuited. He could have sworn Sephiroth had never given him more than a passing glance before, let alone knew his name.

Sephiroth hummed and brought his other hand up such that his fingers curled around Cloud’s neck. His heart rate spiked, but he remained still. This man was his superior officer. What was he supposed to do?

Sephiroth stepped closer, and the crotch of his leather pants pressed against Cloud’s face. He started to turn his head away, but as Sephiroth’s fingers tightened, he froze. The man chuckled and rubbed his pointer finger back and forth across the pulse point on his neck.

Cloud’s eyes widened.

With the hand still caressing his face, Sephiroth forced his neck back. Cloud struggled to keep a lid on his quickly growing fear. Sephiroth’s slit-eyed pupils greedily roamed his face, devouring his expression.

Was his hero enjoying his fear?

Sephiroth lightly trailed his fingers over Cloud’s jawline on the way to his mouth. The leather traced his lips, and Cloud’s stomach rolled. He tried to force his brain to work.

Sephiroth pushed a finger inside his mouth. Cloud stiffened.

“What an obedient puppet you are.” It was said mockingly, and Cloud had no idea how to take it. Puppet? What the fuck? “It’s hard to believe that I didn’t notice you before Nibelheim. Even unenhanced, your beauty is ethereal.”

Cloud drew back far enough to speak, taking a quick breath. “Sir? What is this?”

Sephiroth laughed. “Oh, how young you are, Cloud. How fragile and naive.”

Cloud bristled. He was not young. But as his idol forced his fingers back into his mouth, alarm spiked through him. He was not so naive as to miss the sexual implications, nor the hardening shape in Sephiroth’s pants.

Cloud would be lying if he said he hadn’t desired Sephiroth. He’d had more than his fair share of fantasies and a couple wet dreams

But now, he just felt afraid.

Sephiroth kept his right hand on Cloud’s throat as he unzipped his pants with his now-wet left hand. He freed himself and pushed his hips forward until the tip of his large cock brushed against Cloud’s lips.

He closed his mouth tight, trying to think through his options, but he didn’t understand what was happening. His idol had just appeared out of nowhere and wanted a blowjob...? An hour ago, he would have desperately wanted the man to notice him, but now, as he knelt before him, all he wanted was to disappear.

One of the elders in Nibelheim had cautioned him against meeting his heroes. Cloud knew he had absurdly high hopes for Sephiroth, but he couldn’t be so wrong about the man. If he was actually sadistic, surely there would have at least been rumors.

But then, why was the man’s hand around his throat, and what was that gleam in his eyes?

Cloud tried to turn his head away, but the hand around his neck tightened, keeping him in place. Suddenly tired of being the submissive little cadet, Cloud grabbed Sephiroth’s wrist with both of his. He tried to pull it off and throw himself backwards in a single movement.

It didn’t work. Sephiroth’s grip tightened to the point he couldn’t breathe. Cloud jerked harder, to no effect.

Sephiroth’s fingers dug into his neck with bruising force, and his vision swam. Cloud’s mouth reflexively opened to try to pull in air. The tip of Sephiroth’s cock, which had still been resting against his lips, pushed in.

Sometime during the struggle, it had hardened fully.

He stilled, and Sephiroth loosened his grip just enough for him to suck in a shallow breath.

“S-stop,” he croaked out before Sephiroth pushed farther into his mouth. He reflexively tried to move back, and tears gathered in his eyes as he was held firm. He tried to shake head.

If Sephiroth felt the attempted motion, he gave no indication as he continued easing himself in. His cock was big, larger than Cloud had ever taken before, and he had to hold his mouth open wide to accommodate it. Sephiroth hit a steady rhythm, never fully leaving Cloud’s mouth and sliding deeper with each thrust. His cock hit the back of Cloud’s throat, causing him to gag.

Sephiroth didn’t so much as pause. Cloud coughed violently and renewed his struggles. Panic flared in him as he uselessly thrashed against Sephiroth’s iron grip. Sephiroth groaned in pleasure, but otherwise gave no indication he noticed. It was only when Cloud’s teeth brushed firmly against his cock that he slowed.

“Breathe, Cloud,” Sephiroth said with such mocking cruelty that Cloud’s vision flashed red.

He glared. All of his powerlessness and fear were channeled into anger. He ignored the thought that Sephiroth was his superior officer as he bit down hard.

Instant agony, then darkness overtook him.

~

Green light blanketed Cloud and warmth rushed through his body. He blinked, head spinning.

Was that a revive?

He lay on cold cement, squinting as his vision swam. A man stood at his feet, hand alight with the afterglow of the revive. Long, silver hair framed a face that promised violence.

It all came back in a rush as his eyes managed to focus on the pale appendage protruding from the man’s black pants. It was a fully intact, still erect, and undamaged cock.

He glanced around in confusion. He was still on the roof, in the dark, alone with Sephiroth.

“Do not test me, Cloud.”

Cloud pushed himself into a sitting position. Had he really just been revived?

Sephiroth stepped forward, his feet coming to rest on either side of his legs. Cloud scrambled back.

Cloud stood up and moved away. “This—this is assault.”

Sephiroth allowed the retreat, smiling as he backed himself up to the edge of the roof. Cloud’s heart hammered in his ears.

“I could report you.”

“You could,” Sephiroth agreed easily as he advanced.

Cloud frowned, eyes narrowing. “I will.”

“I don’t care what you do tomorrow. Tonight, I am going to fuck you senseless. Whether you submit or resist does not matter—I will have you.”

Sephiroth’s grin was positively feral as he closed in. Cloud looked around for something—anything—he could use. But there was nothing.

Sephiroth grabbed his shoulders and spun him away from the edge. He was shoved to the ground, where he landed on his back. Sephiroth moved to stand over him with one leg on either side of Cloud’s waist. He froze, feeling his vulnerability acutely. Sephiroth drank in his fear.

Would anyone hear him if he screamed? Surely someone in the building below had a window open. He opened his mouth to do so. Sephiroth dropped on top of Cloud in a flash, hands tightening around his throat, halting the sound.

“None of that now. I’d hate to have uninvited guests during our precious reunion.” He smiled as if he’d said something amusing, and it terrified Cloud that he couldn’t understand why there was so much emotion coding Sephiroth’s words or why he acted like he knew Cloud. “Nod if you understand.”

He didn’t, but he twitched his head in affirmation. Sephiroth let go of his neck and shifted to straddle his thighs. His prominent erection was inches from Cloud’s crotch.

Sephiroth brought his hands to the waist of Cloud’s pants and paused, savoring his breathless dread.

Cloud did nothing as Sephiroth roughly pulled his pants and boxers down. The fabric bunched painfully against his knees, before sliding down to catch on his boots.

Sephiroth put his hands firmly on Cloud’s thighs while looking him directly in the eye. “Will you fight me?”

His mouth was dry, and his lips stuck together briefly as he replied. “I don’t know.”

Sephiroth smirked. He squeezed Cloud’s thighs harder and harder until Cloud reflexively tried to jerk away, his butt leaving the cold concrete. Sephiroth used the opportunity to pull him closer. The cement caught on his shirt, exposing his abdomen.

Sephiroth dropped him, and he twitched as Sephiroth leaned forward. His silver hair fanned forward, framing their bodies.

Cloud was paralyzed. He’d always admired Sephiroth’s dominance in battle—had hoped to be like him someday—but now, all his obsessive knowledge of what Sephiroth could do only heightened his helplessness. It seemed Sephiroth was willing to use every ounce of his prowess against him.

So as Sephiroth’s fingers trailed up his abs, pushing his shirt further up, Cloud stayed still. He let Sephiroth pull it over his head, then loop it around his wrists until it served as an impromptu binding.

“Good, Cloud. Very good,” Sephiroth said as he lowered his face to Cloud’s neck. He inhaled deeply, then licked a stripe down to his right nipple. Cloud shuddered.

Sephiroth’s mouth covered his nipple, and he sucked. The sensation felt wet, weird, and different than the previous times he’d engaged in nipple play. Sephiroth gently bit down. His nipple hardened, and Sephiroth’s lips curved into a smile.

Sephiroth quickly repeated the treatment on Cloud’s other nipple before moving further down. Cloud stared at the sky, trying to control his panic. The light and smoke of Midgar blocked the stars. If the heavens could even see him, they weren’t going to help.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he forced himself to stay still.

Sephiroth’s still-gloved hand wrapped around his cock. Cloud quickly shut his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he could handle having the image of his former hero raping him seared into his mind.

A leather fingertip glided over his sensitive tip. He reflexively tried to jerk away, but Sephiroth’s grip tightened, keeping his cock in place. He gasped with pain as all his movement was transferred to a stretch in his cock.

Sephiroth chuckled and resumed stroking him slowly. Cloud bit down on his lip, trying not to whimper. Another tear fell.

The next time leather glided over his tip, he managed to stay in place, but he couldn’t suppress a sob.

“Look at me.”

Fear of the man above him coiled strongly throughout his entire body, but he couldn’t do it. He shook his head.

There was a loud sound, and the side of his forehead collided with the ground as his head rolled. Pain shot through his neck. Dazed, he opened his eyes, to see the world spinning. He tasted metal and his cheek felt burned.

Gaia, Sephiroth was fast.

He’d just been hit. He tried to pull a hand towards his face, but his own shirt, tied around his wrists, prevented him.

A leather glove slid between his face and the concrete. Cloud gasped as his neck spasmed. Sephiroth rotated his head to face him, and Cloud cried out as the pain intensified. His body should have been thrashing, but it only twitched feebly. He tried to take a deep breath, but could only manage a shallow inhale.

Sephiroth’s glowing, green eyes bore into him with predatory glee. “Oh puppet, you’re so beautiful.”

Their lips met, and before Cloud could think, Sephiroth’s tongue was between his lips, shoving its way in. Their kiss tasted of his blood. There was no affection, only violent domination. Sephiroth ravaged his mouth, teeth clacking against his before sinking into his sensitive flesh.

The pain in his neck flared as the force of the kiss shifted his head. Cloud closed his eyes, before fear of another retaliation forced them open again.

He left his mouth as pliant and relaxed as he could. More tears ran down his cheek as he reflected on his injury. What was wrong with his neck? He tried to wiggle his fingers, but only his middle finger responded. He didn’t know if materia could heal a spinal injury.

Sephiroth bit viciously into his bottom lip before pulling away. Cloud forced himself to keep his eyes open. Sephiroth’s lips were glossy with his blood as he smirked.

“Tell me you want more.”

Cloud blinked, mouth falling open. “...what?”

Sephiroth leaned forward, his wet lips brushing against Cloud’s ear as he whispered, “beg me to fuck you.”

Sephiroth pushed himself up far enough that he hovered over Cloud, easily within kissing range. He looked demonic.

Cloud had never felt so powerless in his life.

He couldn’t even shake his head to refuse without causing himself a fresh wave of agony in his neck. He tried again to think of something—anything—that could help. Between the pain, confusion, and terror, he was stuck. But he couldn’t do as Sephiroth asked.

“I won’t.”

“Is that so?” Leather slid down his torso with a tenderness that did not belong in the moment. Sephiroth smirked, as if his resistance was amusing.

Cloud waited for the other shoe to drop, heart racing.

“Do I frighten you?”

Cloud’s body shuddered, which seemed to be answer enough.

“You’re clearly outmatched and vulnerable, yet you still resist me.” His hand stilled. “Why?”

“You can do what you want to me, take what you want,” Cloud said with a steadier voice than he had imagined he could. “But I won’t give you my will.”

Sephiroth laughed, and cupped Cloud’s cheek with his gloved hand. “Oh, Cloud…” The way he said his name held the weight of deep emotion, and Cloud wondered how long the silver general had been watching him.

The leather pressed into his cheek as Sephiroth started to tilt his head down. His cat-slit pupils remained locked on Cloud, and his predatory smile only grew with the pain in his neck. His whole spine ached more and more until he couldn’t hold back and cried out. Instantly, Sephiroth’s hand covered his mouth, muffling the sounds.

“Your resistance turns me on more than your cooperation ever could.”

Cloud’s eyes widened, but he had little time to process the horror of that statement. Sephiroth’s weight left his body, and he grabbed Masamune.

It was terrible how much he looked like the recruitment posters in that instant. A slight breeze blew his long, silver hair, and a flap of his coat shifted to reveal his muscular chest. Cloud’s mind spun to reconcile the man above with his idol.

Masamune glinted as Sephiroth brought it down in a ruthless frenzy. Heat flared across his torso as a flurry of blows descended. Everything became agony. He couldn’t even scream. As soon as a noise could form, another blow knocked the air away. Cloud’s body twitched uncontrollably, overwhelmed by a cumulative pain far beyond any he had ever felt.

Distantly, he noted blood in his mouth. The already pitiful twitches of his body were growing weaker. The corners of his vision grew hazy, and Cloud prayed that if he fell unconscious, it would last.

Sephiroth knelt and grabbed his thighs. He pushed Cloud’s legs towards his shoulders, causing another wave of unbearable pain to shoot through his spine.

When he was able to process the world again, he was bent in two, with his knees nearly touching the ground behind his shoulders. Sephiroth was between his legs, leaning over him with a manic glint in his eyes.

Cloud opened his mouth to try to speak, but he only managed a weak gurgle. The last thing he felt before the world went dark was stabbing pain as Sephiroth brutally entered him.

He didn’t know how long he had been out when green light surrounded him and pulled him back to life. He was still in the same position, though with a lot less pain. Sephiroth’s cock was still inside him. He blinked, squinting through blurry vision.

Sephiroth watched him intently, victory gleaming in his eyes. Cloud squirmed, and that’s when he felt it. A hot, sticky substance was leaking out of his asshole, and Sephiroth’s cock had gone soft.

Had Sephiroth…? He shook his head. But that only helped the pieces add together.

Sephiroth had fucked him while he lay dying and had gotten off on it.

Cloud could do nothing but stare at the man above him numbly. Sephiroth slowly pulled out with a wet plop, without breaking eye contact. Cloud blinked, and tried to work some moisture back into his mouth, while ignoring the metallic taste of his own blood.

Sephiroth climbed off him and tucked his cock back into his pants. Despite having just fucked Cloud so violently, he stood above him looking once again like the immaculate poster boy. There was no sheen of sweat on his brow or mess on his clothes.

“W—why?” Cloud asked with a voice so shaky and insecure that he felt like the awkward kid he’d once been, who couldn’t understand the harsh realities of the world.

“Why?” Sephiroth repeated. “Because I wanted to, and no one suffers so beautifully as you.”

He shook his head, not comprehending.

Sephiroth laughed. “Maybe we’ll meet again, Puppet.”

Sephiroth slashed his sword diagonally, and what he could only describe as a portal of darkness opened. Smoke swirled out, and Cloud flinched away. Everything felt wrong, like shadows had crept from the void and ensnared all logic.

Sephiroth turned back to face him, looking infuriatingly pleased. He flicked his free hand, and Cloud’s shirt somehow vanished.

Cloud gently pulled his hands to his chest and massaged his wrists. His spine no longer hurt, and the gashes in his chest were partially healed. Sephiroth must have cured him with that revive spell.

Without another word, Sephiroth stepped into the darkness. The smoke dissipated and the portal with it.

Cloud laid back and let himself cry.

He stayed alone on the roof for another hour. Thoughts swirled through his head, but he couldn’t focus on any of them.

Until something clicked, and his mind felt clearer than it had in years. Here at Shinra, he was weak—way weaker in comparison than he’d ever been in Nibelheim.

And that was just a fact.

But now that he acknowledged it, his problems were somehow less overwhelming. He didn’t have to be weak forever, and he didn’t have to be alone in it.

The world would see Sephiroth’s evils, and he would make more enemies. Someone with an evil side that blatant would crack eventually, and it would come back to bite him. Cloud would not give up, and he’d be there to take advantage of whatever vulnerability Sephiroth showed. In the meantime, he’d get stronger.

Perhaps Zack would stand with him. He seemed like a true hero, and Cloud had a feeling that if he opened up, Zack would help him. He’d show him the physical evidence of what Sephiroth had done.

Then they’d figure out a way to take Sephiroth down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP the original Sephiroth of this world.


	3. T: Modern University AU, Crack, C&S-POV, Humor?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The modern world can’t handle Sephiroth, and Sephiroth can’t handle Cloud dismissing him as some irrelevant cosplayer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really mild as far as warnings go. There is some non-graphic violence.

Cloud weaved his way through the crowd of people making their way to class. It was sunny outside, and people were canvassing the central plaza in full force. Club representatives and salespeople waved fliers in front of him, desperately trying to catch his attention.

He adjusted his shoulder bag and dodged expertly between them. You didn’t complete three years at Midgar University without learning how to move through crowds. He felt a strange yearning sensation in his chest, pulling him forward. He sped up, even though he wasn’t late for class.

A dark figure stepped in front of him. Cloud dodged to the side without making eye contact. People seemed to take eye contact as an invitation to talk.

Cloud had just made it around the person when his wrist was gripped by a leather-gloved hand. Usually, solicitors wouldn’t touch you.

The man holding his wrist was insanely tall and was wearing some absurd costume. He wore a large leather jacket, despite the warm weather. The material of his outfit looked high quality, but the man must have spent all of his money on it because his hair was way too obviously a wig—sleek, yet voluminous silver hair that fell past his waist—way too perfect to be real hair. Cloud had to admit that the man was really embracing the character. His stance and facial features screamed epic villain instead of a random student playing dress up. He even wore slit-eyed contacts.

Cloud shot him his most unimpressed look and flatly said, “weird costume.”

Genuine surprise froze the man’s face, and Cloud yanked his hand free. He turned his back and continued walking to class.

Some instinct urged him to turn around, but Cloud ignored it. Did he know him? Maybe he shouldn’t have been that harsh, but if the guy was going to be bothered by it, maybe he shouldn’t go around grabbing random people.

~

Sephiroth gaped for the first time in years as his nemesis completely dismissed him and walked away as if he weren’t a concern. Cloud disappeared from sight, and Sephiroth let him go, deciding to get a feel for the world he was in first.

He eyed the people around him. The sun was shining and people were out in casual wear. They all looked young—late teens or early twenties like Cloud—and painfully civilian.

Sephiroth frowned, trying to figure out the type of universe he was in. He couldn’t fathom Cloud ignoring him in any world, and yet….

Normally, people had the sense to avoid him, even in crowds, but now, people rushed past him, carelessly brushing the side of his long, duster coat.

Whatever universe he was in, he wasn’t famous, and despite being clearly superior to the idiots around him, he didn’t stick out enough to matter. These people thought of him as just another person. Sephiroth could scarcely remember the last time he’d blended in.

Perhaps he could use that.

A flier was thrust in his face. He looked up and met the eyes of an alternate Scarlet. She hesitated after making eye contact, but shook it off with her signature arrogance.

“Shinra is having its first info session of the year. Free energy vouchers for all students in attendance.” She smiled at him, pushing the flier so far forward that it nearly folded in two as it met his chest.

He shot her a glare, but she barely faltered. People chatted loudly in the background. 

The final straw was a man running into his shoulder and proceeding without a care in the world.

He held his hand to his side, materializing Masamune.

Scarlet’s eyes widened, flicking between his face and the sword, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. He’d never had any particularly strong feelings towards Scarlet in particular, but there was always some satisfaction to be gained from killing Shinra personnel.

He impaled her, and the crowd erupted into screams.

~

Five minutes into Cloud’s lecture, the campus went into lockdown. Professor Hewley, an American, took the news stoically. He turned off the lights in the fifty person lecture hall and closed the blinds to the one window in the room.

“The police and campus authorities are on top of the situation,” Angeal informed his students. “The best we can do now is to remain calm and silent.”

The silence lasted maybe thirty seconds.

“It’s all over social media,” Wedge whispered loudly. “Some psycho with a sword.”

“Holy shit! People are dying!” Jessie’s eyes were wide as she stared at her new top-of-the-line iPhone. “I was just there!”

A knot formed in Cloud’s stomach.

“Let me see,” Tifa demanded. Jessie complied, and Cloud peaked over their shoulders. The picture was blurry, but the man holding the sword was tall, with black clothing and silver hair.

Cloud stilled. His mouth felt dry as he admitted, “I might have seen him….”

Everyone except Jessie, who was once again engrossed in her phone, turned to him, expressions ranging from fear to awe and disbelief.

“I found a live feed!” Jesse announced, in a voice loud enough to earn a glare from Professor Hewley. She surveyed the people around her. “Here, I’ll retweet it.”

Soon, most of the class had the feed pulled up.

“...and now he’s just standing there.” The camera lens flipped direction to show a Wutain girl crouching behind a planter. “Once again, I’m Yuffie Kisagari, here with the latest scoop. For those of you just tuning in, we have some unidentified guy with a sword—like a legit, medieval-looking sword—killing people at Midgar University. It’s a bloodbath down here, with what looks like dozens already dead.”

Yuffie delivered the news with a degree of pep that didn’t match the scene behind her. She looked up, and Cloud could hear a helicopter both from her feed and outside his lecture hall.

“Police are on the scene. Their priority has been escorting students to safety, but with my super awesome ninja skills, I slipped through.” Yuffie winked at the camera. “They’ve sealed the area off, and officers are showing up wearing the  _ big _ gear.”

She flipped the camera lens again and zoomed in on a squadron of police wearing riot gear. She panned back to the swordsmen. The picture was blurry for a moment before the camera focused.

It was the same cosplayer that he’d insulted on the way to class. Cloud’s heart stopped, and the feeling that he knew this guy increased. The man had his head tilted towards the sky, eyes closed and jaw clenched in irritation.

“We now have a second helicopter on the scene. Police are now trying to de-escalate by speaking to the swordsmen over a loudspeaker, but the dude is  _ totally _ ignoring them.”

The swordsmen opened his eyes and swung his sword towards the sky. An arc of energy flew outwards, following the line of his sword. There was a horribly loud sound that Cloud heard twice—once from directly outside, and again a second later from Yuffie’s livestream.

She cursed and the camera jostled. “Holy shit. I don’t know what just happened, but one of those helicopters broke into two.” There was another loud sound, and he could only assume it was the wreckage hitting the ground.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Barret interrupted. Angeal shot him a look, but didn’t tell Barret to quiet down. He too had his phone out.

The livestream refocused on the man in black. A bullet shot rang out and the man’s sword flashed through the air, faster than the camera could track beyond a flash of reflected light.

Yuffie made a disbelieving sound. “Woah! He just blocked a bullet with his sword. Are you guys seeing this?”

More shots rang out, and the swordsman became a blur of movement and flashing light.

“The police snipers are really going at it. Gaia, none of these bullets are hitting him.”

“Some people on Twitter say they recognize him,” Jessie interrupted.

“Wow, they work fast,” Tifa said.

“They’re saying he looks just like the Shinra VP….”

It clicked for Cloud then. The facial features of the cosplayer was an exact copy of his old boss. He’d interned on Sephiroth’s team two summers ago. Cloud had really looked up to the man and had learned his demeanor, inside and out. This swordsman seemed different in too many fundamental ways. His stance, his predatory smile, the ridiculous outfit….

Several eyes turned towards Cloud, and he shook his head. “No way.”

~

Sephiroth sat in his corner office of Shinra HQ. His phone buzzed repeatedly as people mistook a violent criminal for him. He ran his hand through his short brown hair, mind whirling through possibilities.

He did look a lot like the swordsman of Midgar, as they were calling the man. He’d never known his mother, so it was technically possible that he had a brother or something. But surely Hojo would have known....

He stood up and rolled his shoulders. Whatever the case, it would be foolish to stay alone in his corner office. He made his way to the company lunchroom, where countless witnesses could testify his whereabouts.

~

The swordsman had stayed in the central plaza of Midgar University for another five minutes while Yuffie live streamed the event, and the police did their best to deal with him. But then a literal wing had sprouted out of the guy’s costume, and he had wrapped it around himself, disappearing in a flurry of black feathers.

Midgar University had remained under lockdown for several hours, and afterwards, everyone had gone to Jessie’s house. None of them wanted to be alone, and everyone had been happy to have a few drinks together.

Only when it was late did Cloud and Tifa split off to walk home to their shared house. Neither of them had wanted to stay with the way that Jessie, Biggs, and Barret were getting trashed.

“What a nutjob,” Tifa commented again. They hadn’t been able to stop talking about the attack on campus for more than a few minutes.

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, like what kind of guy uses his superpowers to cosplay someone out of a fantasy movie and attack a bunch of students?”

Tifa laughed, then cut off abruptly.

The shadowed figure of a tall man floated down from the sky and onto the road directly in front of them. The silver hair and grace marked him as said swordsman.

“You think I’m playing dress up?” The mass murderer before them looked...hurt? Cloud took a reflexive step back.

Cloud glanced at Tifa, whose eyes were locked on the swordsman. She was tense, fists half raised in a combat-ready stance. 

“Don’t you recognize me, Cloud?”

Cloud blinked, desperately trying to place the man. He’d been staring at pictures of him and Sephiroth for hours, theorizing with his friends about who else he could be. Everyone had accused him of just being in denial until Sephiroth and his coworkers had started live-tweeting from Shinra HQ.

The silence was stretched. What was he supposed to say to an offended mass murderer? He put his hands up in a placating gesture and wondered if he should call for help. “...are you sure we know each other?”

The man raised an eyebrow. The color of his eyes were strangely vibrant in the dark, giving the appearance that they were glowing. He still wore the slit pupil contacts, which had to be uncomfortable after so long.

“Was I drunk?” He asked, trying and failing to force a self-deprecating laugh. “I have a shit memory when I drink, like blackout bad.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he looked casual. The murderer frowned, and Cloud’s flimsy ruse was broken as he jumped back. Tifa glanced at him, but held her position.

There was a tense moment where no one moved. The swordsman’s eyes roamed over Cloud’s body, lingering where the weight he had gained over his years of study had filled out his figure.

Tifa deliberately stepped in front of him, fists raised. The swordsman didn’t spare her a glance. He tilted his head consideringly. Cloud’s heart beat frantically at the continuing intense stare. Who the hell was this guy?

The tension broke when the silver-haired man shook his head and sighed. “You’re too different. Be glad, Cloud, that this version of you is so...ordinary.”

He said ordinary like it was the worst possible insult. Cloud’s mouth dropped open, having no idea how to interpret this bizarre man.

“The next you will not be so fortunate.” The swordsman turned his back on them and slashed his sword diagonally. An unnatural wind blew from a floating black line that quickly grew into a full-on doorway. It looked a lot like the darkness portals from Kingdom Hearts.

The silver hair of the man’s wig blew towards them as he stepped into the portal of darkness.

Tifa turned to Cloud, mouth agape. He could only shake his head. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he was able to speak again.

“What the actual fuck?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say that I *love* cosplayers. You all are awesome and make such cool art.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been struggling with my health lately, so it’s been hard to focus on longer storylines. To readers of ‘But You’re My Soulmate’, I’m sorry for the update delay and hope that you can enjoy this is the mean time.
> 
> Anyways, are there any AU types you want to see Sephiroth visit? I’m open to suggestions!


End file.
